Having begun her musical career in bands—she joined her first at 14—she went solo when she left her native Iceland for London and teamed up with British dance music producers. She recorded Debut (1993) to mixed reviews but big sales. Her follow-up, Post (1995), generated further interest through the video for “Blow a Fuse (It's Oh So Quiet)”. Telegram (1997) was largely a re-mix of earlier work. As part of the band Sykurmolarnir (the Sugarcubes)—which included her then-husband, guitarist Thor Eldon—she recorded Life's Too Good (1988), which introduced American audiences to her unique stylings through the singles “Birthday” and “Motorcrash”. Her entry into films was lauded with her appearance in Dancer in the Dark (2000), in which she won best actress at the 53rd annual Cannes International Film Festival.